Pocket-knife.



No. 736,524; PATENTBD AUG. 18', 1903. E. KAUPMANN.

POCKET KNIFE.

APPLIUATION FILED Nov. 14, 1902.

No MODEL.

UNTTE STATES Patented August 1Q, 1903.

ERNST KAUFMANN, OF SOLINGEN, GERMANY.

POCKET-KNIFE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 736,524, dated August 18, 1903.

Application filed November 14, 1902. Serial No. 131,332. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ERNST KAUEMANN, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at Solingen, in the German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Pocket-Knives, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to pocketknives, and has for its object to provide a device for locking the blades of a knife in the open or closed position, consisting of a part which is so hidden in the knife or is formed externallyin such a manner that persons not in the secret will be unable to discover the right way of using the same, while the back of the knife when provided with such a device shall yet be smooth and without any projecting parts which would be a hindrance in the various processes of the manufacture of the knife and also in the use thereof.

The essential feature of the invention consists in the arrangement of an eccentriclever which is wholly hidden in the back of the knife in the two extreme positions of the knife-blades.

In the accompanying drawings,which illustrate, by way of example, one method of carrying this invention into effect, Figures l, 3, and t are views in side elevation of the knife, showing the large blade in dierent positions. Fig. 2 is a view in rear elevation of the knife when open, and Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of the eccentriclever.

The large blade la is pivoted on the pin s, which is riveted at its ends in the sides t' of the knife-handle. The said blade is formed at the lower end of its back with a tooth-like notch 1, Fig. 3, with which the spring fengages with its hooked end when the knifeblade is open, Fig. 1. rlhe springis attached at its lower end to the knife-handle in the usual manner, and it is formed, say, about its center part with a slot through which there projects a stud 1J, that passes transversely through the handle. To the hooked end of the springfthere is connected a small lever 7L by means of the pin t. The pivoted lever h is provided with a head part so shaped and arranged with respect to its pivot as to act as an eccentric and on the end of which there is formed a shoulder r. As shown in Figs. l and 4, the level` h folds down by the When the blade has assumed the position shown in Fig. l, the spring will on the release of the lever be free to snap into the notch 1 in the blade k, and thus lock thelatter. The slot, with the pin p, serves to limit the ont- Ward movement of the spring. i

In order to fold the blade, the same operation must be performed in the corresponding way. It is obvious that the lever h may be so formed as to impart to it the shape of a tool or of a manicuring implement or the like, whereby without altering the essential nature of the invention in any Way an additional component is added to the existing parts of the knife.

The lever may also be made of fork shape at the end Where it is connected to the spring, and the back of the spring may be recessed somewhat at that place, so that the lever in covering the spring may fit in Well.

Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, ism

l. A knife comprising a handle, a blade pivotally mounted in the handle and having a notch in the rear edge of theheel thereof, a spring disposed within the handle and having a projection upon one of its ends for engagement With the notch of the blade, an eccentric lever pivoted to the spring and adapted for operation to bear with its eccentric portion upon the blade and move the spring ont of engagement with the blade.

2. A knife comprising a handle having a blade pivotally mounted therein said blade having a notch in the rear edge of the heel thereof, a spring disposed within the handle and rigidly secured thereto at one of its ends and having a projection upon its free end for engagement with the notch of the blade when the knife is in its open position and adapted to bear upon the front edge of the heel when the blade'is in its closed position, and an eccentric lever pivoted to the spring and adapt- IOO ed to be operated to bear vvith its eccentric' portion upon the blade to move the spring out of engagement therewith.

3. Aknife comprisinga handle, a blade pivotally mounted in the handle, said blade having a notch in the rear portion of its heel, a pin disposed transversely of the handle, a slotted spring disposed Within the handle With its slot engaged uponV the transverse pin and rigidly secured to the handle at one of its ends, said spring having a projection upon its free end for engagement with the notch in the blade When the latter is in its open po- 

